1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the art of grills, especially the type of outdoor grills which are used by their owners for cooking various types of food products. More specifically, the present invention relates to a novel grill cover which includes a transparent panel to allow the cooking operation to be observed by the operator standing next to the grill and which is selectively movable to provide an upper vent in the grill cover to permit control of whatever combination of baking, roasting, grilling and broiling is desired by the chef. Smoke and heat can be precisely controlled using the window structure of the present invention.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Charcoal and gas grills are well known, and many currently available grills include a cover and various vent mechanisms so that food can be either baked or roasted (with the cover on) or grilled or broiled if the cover is removed and the heat is concentrated on one side of the food. Doneness, tenderness, crispness and other such factors are affected by the timing and juxtaposition of the food to the heat source, as well as the smoke pattern created during cooking. Flavor is also affected by the smoke pattern, so maximum control of these factors and the ability to alter cooking conditions would be very desirable to one seeking perfection in the preparation of food. In prior grills, such factors have been controlled, for example, by periodically lifting the lid or cover of the grill, moving the cooking rack, etc., all of which procedures subject the food to ambient conditions, such as outdoor temperature, wind, etc. Such uncontrolled manipulation of cooking conditions disrupts the timing and flavor and leads to lack of predictability.
Several patents known to the present inventor will now be described, it being apparent from the descriptions that scientific and precise control of the cooking process has not been accomplished by any of the prior art devices.
In U.S. Pat. No. 18,297 issued to Pierce on Sept. 29, 1857, a "Domestic Oven" is shown having a vent control on either end of an elongate oven and a door in the front of the oven which is hinged at its top to provide access to the oven interior. There is no indication in the patent that the access door is used to provide any control of the cooking process, nor is there any type of upper vent for the oven.
A "Ventilated Cooking Vessel Cover" is described in U.S. Pat. No. 941,041 issued Nov. 23, 1909 to Phillips. The device is a cover for sauce pans and the like which includes a hinged central venting portion so that food may be cooked in a single cooking vessel in either a covered or uncovered manner. A support is provided for maintaining the venting portion in an elevated position. No method or apparatus is shown in this patent for observing conditions within the vessel and the device is not described as being useful for the types of cooking operations typically conducted in outdoor grills.
Rubens, is his U.S. Pat. No. 3,224,357 issued Dec. 21, 1965 for "Food Smoker Attachment For Hooded Braziers", describes a charcoal type grill which includes an elevated, semi-cylindrical enclosure extending upwardly over approximately one half of the charcoal containing grill body. The cover includes a flap door hinged along the bottom of the enclosure, so that the enclosure may be sealed (except for the bottom) to accomplish a smoking operation on certain food products. A rack for holding the food is located within the cover. The patent also discloses a hinged, planar cover for the other half of the grill body and an arm member which can be attached in several ways to control the amount of air (smoke) entering the tall enclosure.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,556,078 issued to Robert McGaughey on Jan. 19, 1971 for "Barbecue Grill" discloses a conventionally shaped gas grill having a cover which includes a fixed transparent panel in the front generally vertical wall thereof. A top opening is provided which is equipped with a planar weather shield located above and spaced vertically above the top of the cover body. Semi-circular barrier walls which are part of the shield define a plurality of passages into the grill and a rotatable damper projects through the shield to control the size and orientation of the passages. This patent is primarily directed to preventing admission of rain into the grill during inclement weather while allowing some smoke to escape through the top. The weather shield and the viewing panel are separate and distinct elements. The patent does not disclose the material of construction of its viewing panel but indicates that damper adjustments can be made depending on visual observations made therethrough.
A conventional grill equipped with a smoker chamber having a selectively openable top portion is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,611,911 issued on Oct. 12, 1971 to Martin for "Smoke-Producing Device". The chamber includes a foraminous bottom for supporting a smoke-producing material, such as hickory.
Walter Koziol was granted U.S. Pat. No. 3,667,648 on June 6, 1972 for "Slip Out Glass Panel For Cover Member". An opening is provided in a conventionally shaped gas grill cover at the upper part of the front face and the forward part of the top to receive a transparent panel which covers the opening and allows visual observation of the cooking occurring within the grill. Taken in cross-section from front to back, the panel is generally L-shaped. The patentee discloses that the panel can be removed for cleaning, but no mechanism is shown or suggested for moving the panel during cooking to vary the cooking conditions or flow of smoke from the grill. Various flanges and ledges support the panel in place. With regard to the materials of construction for the transparent panel, the patentee suggests heat resistant glass or plastic materials.
Another food cooking device having a transparent panel is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,370 issued Feb. 12, 1974 to Fauser for "Device For Cooking Food". The device includes a collapsible hood structure with rear and side walls and a plurality of plate members arranged therewith to define an upper outflow opening for fumes. The plate members can be moved to adjust the air draught through the device depending on the food product being cooked. The front panel which is hinged at its top to a fixed member may be constructed of a transparent material so that cooking may be supervised. The transparent panel does not permit adjustment of the top air flow passageway which is built into the device.
An Hibachi with a cover designed to control wind and regulate cooking temperature is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,256,080 issued March 17, 1981 to Seach for "Cooking Grill With Lid". The cover is mounted to the rear top portion of the grill enclosure and includes ratchet like devices on each end so that the lid can be lowered from a vertical position through a horizontal position.
A kettle type barabecue grill is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,027 issued July 20, 1982 to Fuss for "Barbecue Grill Cover". The domed cover for the grill which includes a hinged portion (the hinge being near the center top portion of the dome) allows the chef to have access to the cooker interior without removing the entire dome. The cover in the open position acts as a wind shield.
Finally, an "Outdoor Grill Breather" is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,476,849 issued to Schmidt on Oct. 16, 1984. The conventionally shaped aluminum or cast grill includes a cover and a handle to open same. The distance the cover is raised is controlled by a verticle plate mounted to the cover and having a plurality of holes therein. A spring loaded pin mechanism in the base of the unit is inserted into one of the holes when the desired angle of opening is achieved.
It is apparent from reviewing these patents that it is well appreciated that control of the cooking atmosphere within a grill is important, but that the mechanisms developed to date are relatively complex and still depend in great part on the guesswork, good luck and/or skill of the chef. Furthermore, several of the patents have recognized that observation of the cooking process is desirable, but none of the patents have suggested that it would be appropriate or even feasible to use a viewing panel to provide maximum viewing (i.e., top, front and sides of the meat) of the food and as an integral part of the system for controlling the cooking conditions in the grill. The discovery of such a system by the present inventor constitutes a substantial improvement in the art and a substantial contribution to the effectiveness of grills used by consumers of this type of device.